Original Articles

  • CalHHS Secretary Extends Mask Mandate to Mid-February

    January 7, 2022

    Mark Ghaly, M.D., MPH, California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS) secretary, has extended California’s indoor mask mandate by another full month. The masking requirement intended to combat the coronavirus pandemic now runs through February 15. While citing a recent surge in the state’s positivity rate to over 21 percent, Ghaly also noted data on […]

  • Fed-OSHA seeks suggestions for strengthening VPP

    June 27, 2017

    Fed-OSHA is holding a stakeholder meeting July 17, in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future direction of its Voluntary Protection Programs. The agency’s aim is to “reshape VPP so that it continues to represent safety and health excellence, leverages partner resources, further recognizes the successes of long-term participants, and supports smart program growth.” Fed-OSHA is […]

Curated Content Articles of Interest from Around the Web

    Ozarks Mega-Project Joins Safety Partnership

     

    $400M Ozarks Project Signs Onto OSHA Strategic Partnership

    • Brinkmann Constructors, the general contractor for the $400 million Oasis at Lakeport development at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks, has signed onto  OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program.
    • OSHA Strategic Partnerships establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures to improve worker safety and health.
    • Currently, approximately 320 workers from 52 contracted firms are on-site, according to Brinkmann.
    • This marks the first OSPP for both Brinkmann and Tegethoff Development.
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    Study Shows Higher Opioid Poisoning Among Injured Workers

    • Emergency department visits for opioid poisonings were 2.4 times higher among formerly injured workers and hospitalization rates were 1.5 times higher, a recent Canadian study has found.
    • According to research conducted by the Institute for Work & Health and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre, several occupational groups had greater risks of opioid-related harms, including construction, forestry and logging, materials handling, machining, and processing.
    • Within broad occupational groups, differences in risk were found for some specific occupations. In construction, for example, workers in excavating, paving, and grading, as well as certain other trades, like roofers, painters, and brick and stone masons, had higher risks of harm. In contrast, workers in electrical trades had lower risks of harm.
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    NC Work Injuries at Historic Low

    • The nonfatal workplace injury and illness rate for North Carolina’s private industry remains at a historic low for 2023 with a rate of 2.0 cases per 100 full-time workers. This is significantly lower than the national rate of 2.4.  
    • These data are estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) compiled by the BLS. 
    • The rate accounts for growth and contraction in total hours worked in industry, an important factor considering the state’s recent significant growth.  
    • The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Division expects to continue its focus on hazardous industries, such as construction and manufacturing.
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